HispanicBusiness

MIAMI, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV Networks Latin America announced today that it sold out its sponsorship availability for the second annual "MTV Video Music Awards Latin America." For the second consecutive year top brands Coca-Cola, Visa International Latin America and Caribbean and Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications return as official panregional sponsors of the event. In addition, McDonald's and Panasonic also signed off this year as panregional sponsors of the show, while Yoplait and Sol will sponsor the Mexico transmission only. Coca-Cola, a long time partner of the channel, will sponsor a contest that will bring Latin American winners and guests to experience the VMALA experience with all expenses paid.

The second annual VMALA event will take place Thursday, October 23, 2003 at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach and will air live on MTV Latin America and MTV2 in the U.S. at 9:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. Mexico, 10:00 p.m. Chile and Argentina). Following its premiere, the event will air on MTV U.S. on Saturday, November 1st at 8 pm PT/ET and will be available to air on MTV's 44 channels around the world throughout November.

"The VMALAs has become a great opportunity for our advertising partners to connect directly with our audience throughout Latin America," said Melisa Quinoy, Senior Vice President, Ad Sales, MTV Networks Latin America. "We're thrilled that our clients really appreciate the value of associating themselves with the MTV brand and this very special property."

Coca-Cola's sponsorship will involve several elements including branding millions of Coke bottles and cans in Mexico with the VMALA logo. In addition Coca-Cola will present the official contest and take its "Red Couch" promotion to this year's event. The "Red Couch" is an important element of Coca-Cola's promotion strategy linked to entertainment events and giving consumers the chance to get "the best seat at the best events.

To participate in the "MTV Video Music Awards Latin America" official contest, viewers only need to visit MTVla.com and register before October 6th, 2003. MTV and Coca-Cola will select 15 winners, 12 of whom will receive double round trips to Miami, hotel accommodations, a US$200.00 pre-paid Visa TravelMoney card and tickets to the show. Three 1st prize winners of the MTV/Coca-Cola contest will get VIP treatment, tickets to the show, air transportation, first-class accommodations, limousine rides to and from the show, and a US $2,000.00 pre-paid Visa Travel Money card, among other perks.

For the second year in a row, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, through agreements with local wireless carriers in Mexico, Colombia, Chile and Peru, has set up a process by which people can cast their votes for the categories of Best Alternative Artist, Best Group or Duo and Best New International Artist, by sending text messages through their cellular phones. Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications will also provide T610 mobile phones (with an integrated camera, Quickshare, color screen, e-mail and games, etc.) to be included in performers and presenters' gift bags. Sony Ericsson will again capture the red carpet action with one of their latest phones Series T610, with an integrated camera and Quickshare, posting the pictures at MTV's website MTVla.com.

Visa International Latin America and Caribbean once again will provide pre-paid Visa TravelMoney cards worth US$2,000.00 to the top three winners, and US$200.00 ones for the rest of the VMALA contest winners.

McDonald's sponsorship of the VMALAs marks the food company's first advertising partnership with MTV Latin America. Yoplait and Sol will sponsor the show's Mexico transmission only.

All "MTV Video Music Awards Latin America" sponsors will have presence in the show's tags, banners, on-air spots, and on the network's website MTVla.com. Additionally, some of the sponsors will develop their own activities to promote their participation in the event.

The second annual "MTV Video Music Awards Latin America" will broadcast live on October 23rd, from Miami Beach's Jackie Gleason Theater to all Latin America. The show will showcase performances by Dido, Alejandro Sanz, Sum 41, La Ley, Natalia Lafourcade, Iggy Pop, Control Machete and The Mars Volta. Announced presenters include Chilean band Catupecu Machu, Diego Torres, Argentine sensation Miranda, Robbie Rosa, and ex-Fabulosos Cadillacs' Vicentico, with more to be announced shortly.

Mexicans Cafe Tacuba, Natalia Lafourcade and Molotov, as well as Chilean band La Ley, top this year's nominations with five each, followed by Argentine Gustavo Cerati, Colombian Juanes, and Mexican band Mana with four and Vicentico with three nominations.

Charlie Singer, SVP of Programming and Production, MTV Networks Latin America will executive produce. Audrey Morrissey (a veteran of many MTV productions and award shows, and producer of "Alejandro Sanz MTV Unplugged," "La Ley MTV Unplugged" and last year's VMALAs) will serve as producer; Manny Rodriguez ("Alejandro Sanz MTV Unplugged," "La Ley MTV Unplugged") will direct and Jose Tillan, VP of Music and Artist Relations, MTV Networks Latin America will supervise the musical content of the show.

MTV Latin America, a unit of MTV Networks Latin America, Inc., is a 24- hour Spanish-language cable television network that airs music programming to more than 13 million households in Spanish-speaking Latin America. The network is delivered via satellite to cable, MMDS, UHF broadcast and direct- to-home viewers aged 12-34. MTV Networks Latin America, Inc., a unit of Viacom International, owns and operates MTV Latin America and Nickelodeon Latin America, which have regional headquarters in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Sao Paulo (for Nickelodeon only) and operating headquarters in Miami. MTV Networks Latin America

CONTACT: Linda Alexander, +1-305-535-7259, orLinda.Alexander@mtvstaff.com, or Beto Giraldo, +1-305-535-3751, orbeto.giraldo@mtvstaff.com, or Leonor Santillanes +1-305-535-3868, orleonor.santillanes@mtvstaff.com, all of MTV Networks Latin America

Web site: http://www.mtvla.com/